“THEN CAME TOGETHER UNTO HIM, THE PHARISEES, AND CERTAIN OF THE SCRIBES, WHICH CAME FROM JERUSALEM. AND WHEN THEY SAW SOME OF HIS DISCIPLES EATING BREAD, WITH DEFILED, THAT IS TO SAY, WITH UNWASHED HANDS, THEY FOUND FAULT.
FOR THE PHARISEES, AND ALL THE JEWS [WELL THOSE WHO FOLLOWED THE PHARISEE THEOLOGY], EXCEPT THEY WASH THEIR HANDS OFTEN [MARGIN: DILIGENTLY, IN THE ORIGINAL, “WITH THE FIST” – THEOPHYLACT – UP TO THE ELBOW] EAT NOT, HOLDING THE TRADITIONS OF THE ELDERS.
And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, pots, brasen vessels, and of tables [marg. beds]
Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, WHY DO YOUR DISCIPLES WALK NOT ACCORDING TO THE TRADITIONS OF THE ELDERS, BUT EAT BRED WITH UN-WASHED HANDS?” (Mark 7:1-5).
Now there is nothing wrong with cleanliness, in fact being “clean” as most Western nations are in their daily lives, prevents diseases that other nations have because of unsatisfactory hygiene. But this was WAY MORE than just being “clean” – it had become a theology among the Pharisees and scribes, to be ritualistic – done in a certain way, and when, to a point of religious ritual. Being “clean” had turned into a dogmatic ritual theology, as if how and when they did it, came from God.
JESUS KNEW THEIR HEART; HE KNEW THAT OUTWARD PHYSICAL THINGS HAD BECOME AS IF IT WAS INSPIRED DOGMA FROM GOD.
“HE ANSWERED ADN SAID UNTO THEM: WELL HAS ISAIAH PROPHESIED OF YOU HYPOCRITES, AS IT IS WRITTEN. THIS PEOPLE HONOR ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR FROM ME. HOWBEIT, IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING FOR DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN. FOR LAYING ASIDE THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD, YOU HOLD THE TRADITIONS OF MEN, AS THE WASHING OF POTS AND CUPS, AND MANY OTHER SUCH LIKE THINGS YOU DO. AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, FULL WELL YOU REJECT THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD, THAT YOU MAY KEEP YOUR OWN TRADITIONS…… (Mark 7:6-9).
IT IS CLEAR THAT THESE WERE TRADITIONS NOT COMMANDED BY GOD, BUT BY MEN. IT IS CLEAR THEY WERE HOLDING SUCH MAN MADE TRADITIONS ABOVE THE WORD OF GOD. IN FACT THEY WERE EVEN REJECTING GOD’S COMMANDMENTS TO KEEP THEIR OWN MAN MADE TRADITIONS.
JESUS WENT ON TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE, WHICH WE HAVE COVERED ALREADY IN THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW.
WHEN MADE-UP RELIGIOUS RULES BECOME SO DOMINANT IN PEOPLE’S LIVES; WHEN THOSE TRADITIONS OUT WEIGH AND EVEN PUSH ASIDE GOD’S COMMANDMENTS, THOSE PEOPLE, ARE NOT ONLY INTO MAKING A FALSE RELIGION, BUT THEY ACTUALLY WORSHIP GOD IN VAIN!
THAT IS SERIOUS STUFF COMING FROM THE SAVIOR OF MANKIND.
YES YOU CAN THINK ABOUT GOD, DO MANY OUTSIDE RITES THAT MAY TELL OTHERS YOU BELIEVE IN AND WORSHIP GOD AND CHRIST. YOU MAY TELL PEOPLE YOU ARE “RELIGIOUS” TOWARDS GOD; YOU MAY HAVE ALL THE SIGNS [AS OTHERS LOOK ON] THAT APPEAR TO BE “RELIGIOUS,” BUT AS SHOCKING AS IT MAY SEEM, YOU ARE WORSHIPPING CHRIST AND GOD IN VAIN!
SO WITH THAT CLEAR REVELATION FROM CHRIST TO YOU, ARE YOU GOING TO STOP AND THINK “I’D BETTER TAKE STOCK OF ALL THAT I DO IN MY RELIGION, TO SEE IF IT STACKS UP TO THE REAL RELIGION OF GOD AND CHRIST.”
IF YOU ARE WILLING TO SO TAKE INVENTORY OF YOUR RELIGIOUS LIFE, THEN THIS WEBSITE IS MEANT FOR YOU. YOU WILL FIND ON HERE MANY OF THE MAN MADE TRADITIONS OF THEOLOGY - WORSHIP TOWARDS GOD, THAT HAVE NO BASIS IN THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD.
AND AS SHOCKING AS IT MAY BE TO YOU, THERE ARE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN THE WORLD THAT ARE WORSHIPPING GOD AND CHRIST IN VAIN!
IT MAY BE YOU NEED TO RE-EVALUATE HOW YOU WORSHIP GOD. IS IT ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD, OR IS IT GOVERNED BY THE TRADITIONS OF MEN?
Keith Hunt
………………………………………